Gillette to release NEW DE razor for the holidays

As of today, Amazon is listing this razor as "Unavailable".  This means it is sold out.  I will be surprised if Gillette adds another production run, since it was listed as "limited quantity".

If something sells out that quickly I highly doubt they won't make more, and why wouldn't they?  They are out to make money.  I would guess the limited quantity was just a test run IMO but who knows.

I don’t know the minds at Gillette to have some insight as to whether this was really intended for newbies or not. If it was, it was a big fail. Face it, nearly all the preorders are people in the community.
Hopefully, it becomes regularly available.


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In the Spring of 2017 many wet shavers rushed to Walgreens and a few other major retailers to buy the repackaged Gillette Made in Brazil Platinum Plus blades and then...........it died. So much so that within the year they were marked way down and then pulled from the shelves. My point is that DE shaving isn't going to make some glorious "prodigal son" type return. The vast majority want no part of something that takes more skill, more implements and most of all more time. 

Walk back through the mirror Alice. 

In the Spring of 2017 many wet shavers rushed to Walgreens and a few other major retailers to buy the repackaged Gillette Made in Brazil Platinum Plus blades and then...........it died. So much so that within the year they were marked way down and then pulled from the shelves. My point is that DE shaving isn't going to make some glorious "prodigal son" type return. The vast majority want no part of something that takes more skill, more implements and most of all more time. 

Walk back through the mirror Alice. 

Good points! Wetshaving takes too long. I agree, DE razors will never make a mainstream comeback. I reckon more people would be interested if making lather took about 15 seconds, and if we had SE razor geometries, materials and design, where one doesn't have to think about about applying more/less pressure and the razors are easier and safer to load. There is no reason wetshaving should take more than about 4-5 minutes. Shouldn't wetshaving be easier and quicker? 

Soaps/creams that are nicer to the skin are desired by younger generations. We need slicker soaps/creams, we need soaps that are better for the skin. But you're opposed to the latter, right  

Wetshaving needs to evolve beyond the current focus on soap and soap scents. 

In the Spring of 2017 many wet shavers rushed to Walgreens and a few other major retailers to buy the repackaged Gillette Made in Brazil Platinum Plus blades and then...........it died. So much so that within the year they were marked way down and then pulled from the shelves. My point is that DE shaving isn't going to make some glorious "prodigal son" type return. The vast majority want no part of something that takes more skill, more implements and most of all more time. 

Walk back through the mirror Alice. 

Good points! Wetshaving takes too long. I agree, DE razors will never make a mainstream comeback. I reckon more people would be interested if making lather took about 15 seconds, and if we had SE razor geometries, materials and design, where one doesn't have to think about about applying more/less pressure and the razors are easier and safer to load. There is no reason wetshaving should take more than about 4-5 minutes. Shouldn't wetshaving be easier and quicker? 

Soaps/creams that are nicer to the skin are desired by younger generations. We need slicker soaps/creams, we need soaps that are better for the skin. But you're opposed to the latter, right  

Wetshaving needs to evolve beyond the current focus on soap and soap scents. 

I, too, think that quick and easy are prereqs for mainstream shaving, but quick is rarely what I want, and easy suits me only up to a point.   I like taking my time, enjoying the scents, paying full attention to the sharp razor on my skin, and tuning out the humdrum world.  It is a luxury I can afford most of the time (I'm retired), and when time is limited, I forego the closest shave and/or use a mild razor.

As for focuses, it seems to me that we in shaving forums have always had them, we always will have them, and they will always include but not be limited to soaps and scents.  I think the mainstream will have different focuses, and that their thinking will be as deep-rooted as ours, but in a different way.  My guess is that they will mainly be privately comparing themselves to other people (e.g. men to to other men), rather than publicly arguing the merits of different gear and technique.  They will be asking "Will this product help me look sharp, impress, get laid, etc.?" and "Will some other product do better?"  They won't be looking under the hood the way we do.  I don't see either group changing, and I don't see why either group should change.  And even though artisans may benefit financially from migrating more toward perfumes and other cosmetics, if they still depend heavily on forums for visibility, they will still be dealing with forum cultures.

I think a true quality shaving cream that is usable with or without a brush in a squeezable tube and/or pump bottle (not a tub of shaving cream) will have the most appeal to non-traditional shavers as it's much faster to use than whipping up a lather with a soap and a brush.

In the Spring of 2017 many wet shavers rushed to Walgreens and a few other major retailers to buy the repackaged Gillette Made in Brazil Platinum Plus blades and then...........it died. So much so that within the year they were marked way down and then pulled from the shelves. My point is that DE shaving isn't going to make some glorious "prodigal son" type return. The vast majority want no part of something that takes more skill, more implements and most of all more time. 

Walk back through the mirror Alice. 

....Soaps/creams that are nicer to the skin are desired by younger generations. We need slicker soaps/creams, we need soaps that are better for the skin. But you're opposed to the latter, right  ...


No, I am opposed to software types who pretend to be dermatologists. 

In the Spring of 2017 many wet shavers rushed to Walgreens and a few other major retailers to buy the repackaged Gillette Made in Brazil Platinum Plus blades and then...........it died. So much so that within the year they were marked way down and then pulled from the shelves. My point is that DE shaving isn't going to make some glorious "prodigal son" type return. The vast majority want no part of something that takes more skill, more implements and most of all more time. 

Walk back through the mirror Alice. 

....Soaps/creams that are nicer to the skin are desired by younger generations. We need slicker soaps/creams, we need soaps that are better for the skin. But you're opposed to the latter, right  ...


No, I am opposed to software types who pretend to be dermatologists. 

Yeah, pretending is bad, very bad! You might want to ask those pretenders if they consult with dermatologist and cosmetologist.

I believe there is a bunch of shavers interested in a faster shaving experience but I KNOW for a fact that is not everyone.  Most of the people I showed old-school shaving to STILL take the time to beat a lather with brush and soap AND they took the time to learn the nuances of the DE razor.  Some in fact enjoy the cost savings we all thought we would get when we left carts.  These fellows don't spend time on any shaving related forums.  I believe there are a bunch of guys out there who care more about skin than ever before.  I believe there are way more fellas outside the hobby than the numbers inside it who are more than willing to slow down and bathroom-zen.  I believe that our hobby habits (making lather, using quality tools, taking more time with shaving, post shave routine) are not weird at all.  Where our train falls off the tracks is having thousands of blades, hundreds of soaps, dozens of brushes, and making payments on a wolfman razor.  Then top that off with posting about it on a shaving forum which we willingly became members of.  THAT is what makes us weird to the shaving public.  So let them think us weird.  I'm having a great time, learning stuff, and rubbing shoulders with you fellas and loving every minute of it.  That said, no other sites I visit or groups I'm a member of take shaving to this level of intensity.  Shoot some of them actually enjoy using Williams, VanDerHagen, and Conk soaps with Drugstore branded Dorco blades. 
So if we can agree that although we may wield influence, we are so far off the median/mean of statistical shavers that perhaps Gillette isn't playing to us at all but to fellows or gents  (we even use weird terms for males of shaving age), who want to slow down.  Maybe they have their finger on the pulse of shavers and can see trends in cart sales that they have been unable to reverse.  Maybe they are EXACTLY sure of who will remain cart users and who, if not offered some other Gillette branded alternative will never spend dollars with Gillette.  Although I'm not in the market for a zamac Gillette China razor, and although if it's sold out they likely went into the "crazies" or enthusiasts marketplace, I am very happy Gillette has chosen to feed the channel.  More guys finding DE, SE, and straights will give us more opportunity to get some new blood around here.  Heaven knows you cats have to be tired of reading my blather.  At any rate it seems obvious that as the market expands, and I firmly believe wet shaving is expanding, new players will join and some of those new players might be named Gillette.  I don't think this was a knee-jerk move.  I don't think it was made without data.  I don't think they are done with their offerings.  And I sure hope they find success in our small corner of the world.

I believe there is a bunch of shavers interested in a faster shaving experience but I KNOW for a fact that is not everyone.  Most of the people I showed old-school shaving to STILL take the time to beat a lather with brush and soap AND they took the time to learn the nuances of the DE razor.  Some in fact enjoy the cost savings we all thought we would get when we left carts.  These fellows don't spend time on any shaving related forums.  I believe there are a bunch of guys out there who care more about skin than ever before.  I believe there are way more fellas outside the hobby than the numbers inside it who are more than willing to slow down and bathroom-zen.  I believe that our hobby habits (making lather, using quality tools, taking more time with shaving, post shave routine) are not weird at all.  Where our train falls off the tracks is having thousands of blades, hundreds of soaps, dozens of brushes, and making payments on a wolfman razor.  Then top that off with posting about it on a shaving forum which we willingly became members of.  THAT is what makes us weird to the shaving public.  So let them think us weird.  I'm having a great time, learning stuff, and rubbing shoulders with you fellas and loving every minute of it.  That said, no other sites I visit or groups I'm a member of take shaving to this level of intensity.  Shoot some of them actually enjoy using Williams, VanDerHagen, and Conk soaps with Drugstore branded Dorco blades. 
So if we can agree that although we may wield influence, we are so far off the median/mean of statistical shavers that perhaps Gillette isn't playing to us at all but to fellows or gents  (we even use weird terms for males of shaving age), who want to slow down.  Maybe they have their finger on the pulse of shavers and can see trends in cart sales that they have been unable to reverse.  Maybe they are EXACTLY sure of who will remain cart users and who, if not offered some other Gillette branded alternative will never spend dollars with Gillette.  Although I'm not in the market for a zamac Gillette China razor, and although if it's sold out they likely went into the "crazies" or enthusiasts marketplace, I am very happy Gillette has chosen to feed the channel.  More guys finding DE, SE, and straights will give us more opportunity to get some new blood around here.  Heaven knows you cats have to be tired of reading my blather.  At any rate it seems obvious that as the market expands, and I firmly believe wet shaving is expanding, new players will join and some of those new players might be named Gillette.  I don't think this was a knee-jerk move.  I don't think it was made without data.  I don't think they are done with their offerings.  And I sure hope they find success in our small corner of the world.

If Gillette refines the Gillette Guard cartridge then I think it will satisfy the masses. There is no money in expired patents for Gillette.

They need to come up with a new single edge cartridge that they can patent.

The Guard is a great shaver for cruise control shaving.

Ask yourselves these questions:

Why does the wetshaving community want Gillette back so badly when there are so many artisans making razors that everyone seems to enjoy it?

So what does the wetshaving community want to Gillette to really do?

Do people just want superspeeds and fat boys and slim adjustable to be re-released ? Don’t we have Parker and pearl shaving doing knock offs already?

Gillette has pretty much done it all over the last 100 years. The bbs-1 razor is based on the Gillette tech. From my point of view every artisan is modernizing all the old designs....and that is a good thing but what artisans don’t have is the low price point that a company like Gillette would have for the same razor.


Yes I would love a re-release modern version of the adjustables so I don’t have to spend $$$$ on eBay or restoration sites for a $12 (inflation adjustment) razor from the 50s and 60s.





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It's back! Early this morning (1am PDT), the Gillette Heritage Razor became "available" once again on Amazon. I ordered one while I could.